Apricity
by When the Sun Rises
Summary: May hasn't been in Johto since she was born, but her parents allow her to return because they thought she would be safe. She won't. Her destiny will tangle with forces that threaten her existence. The one that seals her fate, however, is the truth. Rated T for language and violence
1. Cold Beginnings

I wanted to start this story for a while now but postponed it because I didn't know how. Now that I have an idea, I'm ready with the first episode.

There's going to be fifteen episodes in total. The story is set in 2017 and in a universe in which people can't possess and travel with pokémon until they're eighteen. Johto is still May's third region here, but she'll be in her mid-twenties instead of her preteens because—let's face it—there's only so much children can do in mature stories. Those of you who read my work know I can get really, really dark. It'll get rated-T dark in this one.

I'm combining themes from Like No One Ever Was, Pokémon Emerald: The Adventures of Nadine, and The Korrova Region (a discontinued story that will be deleted by the time you read this) into this, so you bet it's going to be a fun ride. I won't know if this is going to be a scheduled ongoing story like the rest of my projects until I get feedback; so if you want more episodes, follow and review! If not, then expect the updates to be sporadic. I want to focus on the stories you enjoy, after all. Everything else will matter when I feel like it matters.

Without further ado, here's the first episode! Enjoy.

NOTE: Pokédex entries were provided by ORAS flavor text.

* * *

May couldn't breathe. Johto was a beautiful region, and she was only viewing it from the distance. The ferry drew closer and closer to New Bark Town's docks, which were packed with boats and crew. But what attracted May's attention most was the mountain beside them. Its point extended to the clouds, concealed by shadow and fog. What wasn't hidden sparkled in the sunlight.

She _will_ go to that mountain, May vowed to herself. She wanted to see the world? Imagine how much of she'd see from up there.

Once the ferry hit metal, May practically ran out of the ship. She waved at every sailor and citizen she passed and explored the streets and avenues. There were more trees than buildings, and the buildings that were present were made of wood and brick. It was like going back in time when things were simpler.

But May had a promise to fulfill. She arrived at Johto at one o'clock in the afternoon. Now it was almost three. As soon as she entered the town's pokémon center, she rushed to a computer and dialed her landline. A smile stretched across her face when her family appeared on the screen.

"May!" Caroline sighed. "Thank goodness you're alright."

" _Are_ you alright, May?" Norman asked.

"Yeah," May confirmed slowly, confused by her parents' gravity. "Sorry, I didn't call sooner. I was exploring the town."

"See, guys, May's fine!" Max threw his hands up. "I don't know why you guys were so worried. How's Johto, May?"

"Johto's beautiful!" May exhaled. "You guys have to come here sometime. It's amazing!"

"We've been there before, May," Caroline placed a hand on Norman's shoulder. "But we know what you mean. Your father and I miss Johto sometimes."

"But we're content here in Hoenn," Norman interjected. "Have you spoken to Professor Elm yet?"

"No, I'm going there later," May answered. "Is everything alright?"

"Yes, of course, honey!" Caroline assured. "As long as you're safe, everything will be fine."

"Okay," May nodded. She wasn't convinced but didn't want to press further. If there was nothing to worry about, she wouldn't worry.

"I gotta go train Gallade," Max waved at his sister. "Kick ass, May! We'll be cheering you on from Hoenn!"

"Max!" Caroline scolded, but her son ran off before she could reprimand his language. She shook her head and returned to May. "Excusing your brother's profanity, we _will_ support you, dear. Just tell us if you need anything, and we'll be there for you."

" _Literally_ anything, May," Norman added. "If things get too difficult there, I'll come and bring you home myself."

"Thanks, Dad, but I'll be fine. I promise," May assured. "I love you, guys."

"We love you too, sweetie," Caroline responded. "Take care, okay?"

"I will."

Once the call ended, May contentedly approached the front desk to register for this year's contests. From Hoenn, Norman and Caroline engaged in a pressing conversation.

"She'll be fine, Norman," Caroline assured. "It's been over twenty years. I'm sure that bird has given up its search."

"We don't know that for sure, Caroline," Norman remarked. He raked his scalp. "How could we allow her to go back there?"

"No one has seen it for years," Caroline responded. "And we raised May to be a strong, intelligent woman. She'll take care of herself."

Norman sighed and took his wife's hands. "Let's hope so."

Caroline pulled him into her arms and squeezed.

~.~

Professor Elm's lab wasn't far from the pokémon center. May didn't even need to use a navigation system. The lab was the large building beside a magnificent beach. More importantly, close to the mountain she aspired to explore.

May was jogging to her destination when a small pink creature intercepted her path. A man with long red hair and a weavile dashed close behind it.

"Give it back!" the man demanded.

May stopped and watched them disappear. The man sounded angry. Whatever that pokémon stole from him was probably very valuable. But she didn't have time to keep watching. She had to get to the lab so she could get to that mountain.

Ten minutes later, May knocked on the lab's entrance. The glimmering ocean pulled her into a spell until a skinny man in his fifties opened the door.

"May!" he beamed. "You've grown so much!"

"I-I'm sorry," May blinked. "Have we met before?"

"Yes, but you were a baby, so I wouldn't expect you to remember me," the man offered his hand. "I'm Professor Elm. I was a friend of your parents when they still lived here."

"That's so cool!" May met his handshake. "My parents are friends with two pokémon scientists."

"Birch being the other one, correct?"

"Yeah!"

"How wonderful!" Elm jeered. "How is he?"

"He's doing alright," May answered. "He told me to give you his best regards."

"I'll give him a call tonight," Elm decided. "In the meantime, why don't you come inside? Let me prepare you for your journey."

Elm's laboratory was significantly different from Birch's. It looked more like a house than a structure conducting research. A cup of hot chocolate offered by Elm's assistant accentuated this feeling, as did the fireplace in the middle of the office. January began this year with a light layer of snow. But May couldn't feel the frost. She was warmed by her awe and excitement.

"Here's your pokédex, May," Elm handed back her device. "I know pokédexes are absolute now that almost everything can be done with a smartphone, but I assure you this is more efficient than the app."

"Thanks, Professor," May regarded. "It'll come handy when I meet new pokémon."

"Speaking of pokémon, I'm sorry I can't provide you one right now," Elm apologized. "I distributed the ones I had to new trainers yesterday. There are a lot more of them now than ever. Though Johto is a bit behind on technological advances, our youth are tempted enough to make that big decision."

"I don't blame them," May admitted. "I still remember getting my Torchic after graduating high school. My life wasn't the same after that. I always wanted to travel the world, and having pokémon granted that wish."

"Oh?" Elm grinned. "You want to travel the world?"

"Yeah," May nodded. "That's why I was so excited to come to Johto. The first place I want to go to is that mountain over there."

She and Elm approached the window displaying her desired destination. The sight of it made Elm frown.

"I wouldn't go there, May," he said. "It's incredibly dangerous."

May whipped her head to him. "Huh?"

"That's Mt. Silver," Elm informed. "It used to be an attraction for tourists, but then people started to disappear from there. Every time authorities show up, no one can be found. The strange mystery is why some speculate the place is haunted."

May tried her hardest to look concerned, but in the inside, she was tempted more than ever to explore the landmark. A mystery was only a mystery until disproven by fact, and she wasn't going to get the facts by evading the problem. Beauty was always worth the risk. Being a coordinator taught her that.

She and the professor engaged in friendly conversation until May dismissed herself to venture the town. Elm made her promise not to go to the mountain, and she pretended to comply just to get him off her back. She dropped off her baggage in her hotel room before heading west.

Imagine what the sunset would look like from Mt. Silver.

~.~

The redheaded man May saw earlier was named Silver. He and his companion were indeed pursuing the pink creature because his crystal was in her hands. As efficient as Silver was in devising tactics, the cleffa was as sharp as he was. She wouldn't succumb to his traps. He had to take her down with force.

Why was this crystal important to him? Because it would help him find his father. Silver might have sent his dad away when he was sixteen; but now that he was two years from being thirty, he saw things differently. More so now that his mother had a drastic change of heart.

Silver didn't realize where the cleffa was leading him until a chill ran up his spine. Mt. Silver was looming over him. He didn't believe its curse but knew better than to near it. People had disappeared from the location; that was a fact. But he had no choice. The thief was already ascending the mountain.

His boots might have kept him from slipping, but it wasn't the snowy path that concerned him. The winter season darkened the skies too quickly. He could turn around and continue his search tomorrow, but he couldn't risk losing the crystal. He risked his life to get it.

"Go on without me, Weavile," Silver commanded. "We need to get that crystal before the sun sets."

Weavile nodded and sped toward their small but nimble target. Silver followed quickly but not enough to expel excess energy. Although the path was at the bottom of the mountain, it was a long way down.

~.~

Ahead and higher up than Silver was May. Silver's chase led him around before he arrived at the mountain. May went straight there. So far, she wasn't regretting it. She was far from the top yet could see all of New Bark from where she stood.

Hiking uphill was challenging but kept her warm in the lowering temperature. She debated coming back tomorrow to have a whole day to trek but didn't want today's efforts to go to waste. She was going to spend the entire year collecting ribbons and training for the grand festival. Even if she did want to come back, she wouldn't be able to take the time without rousing suspicion. She didn't want anyone to worry about her. A woman almost twenty-five years old deserved more credit than that.

May was about to go around another loop when a bolt of electricity missed her face. Her back hit the snow hard, knocking the wind out of her. She regained her senses and got up before another one struck her. They weren't ordinary bolts, she realized. They were Thunderbolts.

"S-Stop it!" she demanded. "Who's there?"

Another bolt sent her flying off the path, but May managed to catch the edge and hang there. "Help!" she screamed. "Somebody! Please!"

A final Thunderbolt struck her between her hands, forcing her to let go. Her scream pierced the air until she crashed into a cold river.

~.~

"Vile!"

Silver ran until he spotted Weavile diving into a gap. The pokémon Slashed the crevice, but then the cleffa leaped out, headbutted him, and ran down the mountain.

"Damn it!" Silver cursed as the star shape pokémon fled. "Weavile, go!"

Weavile passed him and took off. Silver wanted to follow, but his body collapsed and didn't move. It was tired and not as immune to the cold as his companion's was. But he couldn't stop now. If he did, he wouldn't just lose the crystal; he would lose his father.

Silver grunted and stood back up. That crystal would be his again. Even if he died trying.

"Help!"

Silver stopped.

"Somebody! Please!"

He rushed to the edge to see May dangling a level above him. A Thunderbolt then struck her hands and sent her plummeting into the river below.

"No!" he cried. The river flowed slowly but was cold and a long distance from where May had fallen. If the fall didn't kill May, then the cold and the depth would.

Silver cursed and gripped his hair. Something had attacked this woman for her to drop into the bank. Now he was conflicted with three things: regaining the crystal, saving May, and defending himself from an attacker. His first thought was to flee and follow Weavile. It would return him to his search and save himself from being another victim. But then May would die.

The redhead didn't know what had come over him, but he glided down the slopes to the river. He also _didn't_ call his feraligatr to get May; he dove into the water himself. The sheer cold of the stream momentarily paralyzed him. But then he regained the strength to move when he spotted May and dragged her out of the current.

Silver couldn't stop shaking as he pulled them into the shore. Once May was laid flat, he pinched her nose and puffed air into her mouth. He scolded himself for being so stupid. He risked the crystal and his own life to save this woman, and she might have already been dead as soon as she hit the water. Maybe his stubbornness kept him from stopping what he started. But if that was the case, why did he halt his chase for someone he didn't even know?

On the twelfth kiss, May coughed and hacked water out of her lungs. Silver sat and watched the result of his efforts. May was shivering, just like he was. Then, when her vision cleared, she looked at her savior.

"You, idiot!" Silver screamed.

May fell back.

"Why are you here?" he demanded. "This area is restricted!"

"Don't yell at me!" May barked, her voice cracking from the cold. "You're here too!"

"Because I had to be! I was looking for something!" Silver seethed. "But now it's gone because I had to save you!"

May gasped and actually looked at him. He was the man she saw chasing the pink creature earlier. If what he was saying was true, then that meant she had caused him to lose his target.

"I'm sorry," she croaked.

Silver groaned and kicked a nearby rock. May took a poké ball from her pack and threw it in the air.

"Blaziken, come on out!"

A tall bipedal chicken with flaming wrists shot out from the sphere and materialized behind May. Once the pokémon spotted her freezing trainer, he took her into his arms.

"Can you carry him too, Blaziken?" May pointed to Silver. "We both need to get out of here."

Blaziken looked down at the redhead and knelt down. Silver was skeptical at first. Then, after deciding he didn't want to freeze to death, allowed the blaze pokémon to carry him on his back.

Two platforms higher than the one May had been on, a yellow mouse gathered static in his cheeks. He waited for another command to attack, but the order he got instead was to stop.

"Let them go," a deep, masculine voice directed. "She'll be back."

Dark brown eyes narrowed at May and her companions escaping.

"They always come back."

~.~

The fire and fighting pokémon didn't have to travel far until the trio was at the foot of the mountain path. May was ready to go back to her hotel, but Silver insisted he continued his pursuit.

"I need to find my pokémon and the thief," he said. "Now leave."

"Wait, hold on!" May called out. "You're soaking wet, and it's cold outside. You'll freeze to death!"

"I've already wasted enough time with you," Silver snapped. "Now go!"

His words hurt May's feelings, but May pretended it didn't and stood her ground. "I'm not going to let you die out here. Not after you saved my life."

"I said _leave_!"

The outburst was loud enough for Weavile to find his trainer. He gave May and Blaziken a wary look before regarding his redheaded companion.

"Did you find it?" Silver demanded.

"Weav," Weavile shook his head. He didn't find cleffa, Silver interpreted. He stopped the search when he realized his trainer disappeared.

"Damn it," Silver clenched his fists. He gritted his teeth before kicking the snow behind him. " _Damn it_!"

"L-Listen."

The man whipped to May. The brunette was trembling for more than one reason now.

"After we change clothes," May proposed, "I'll help you find the thief."

"I don't need your help," Silver stated.

" _Please_ ," May begged, entwining her hands below her chin. "You helped me more than I could ever repay. Now let me help you."

Silver gritted his teeth but considered her words. As much as he preferred to work alone, he did risk losing the crystal to save her ass. The least she could do was make up for it.

"Fine," Silver complied. "But let's make it quick. I want to find that cleffa before night comes."

"A cleffa?" May asked. "Is it native to this region?"

"Yeah."

May dug into her bag until she got her pokédex. Fortunately, it was waterproof like her phone and was able to describe the pokémon in question.

"Cleffa, the star shape pokémon," it started. "On nights with many shooting stars, cleffa can be seen dancing in a ring. They dance through the night and stop only at the break of day, when these pokémon quench their thirst with the morning dew."

"So these pokémon are active at night," May concurred. She looked up to the sky. It was turning dark blue.

"It said a night with _shooting stars_ ," Silver remarked. "Do you see shooting stars?"

" _They're active at night_. That's a start," May stated, irked by his tone. "Let's change quickly. I know someone that can give us more information."

~.~

"You want to know about cleffas?" Elm asked.

"Yes," May confirmed. "One stole something that belongs to him," she gestured at the redheaded man beside her, "and we want to find it as soon as possible."

She and Silver were in Professor Elm's office. Silver was obviously hesitant when May guided him to Elm's lab but didn't explain why. Elm also showed discontent meeting Silver but also didn't explain why.

"Stolen, huh?" Elm crossed his arms. "I know how that feels."

"Can you help us or not?" Silver growled.

Elm shot him a glare, which Silver returned, before turning to May. "Well, it's a good thing you got to me before I closed the lab. I'm more than happy to help."

"I'm sorry; have you two met before?" May asked. She wanted to focus on finding the cleffa, but the tension between the professor and her savior was suffocating.

"That's not important," Silver glared harder at the professor. "Time is running out. If you really want to help us, then help!"

"Hey!" May scolded.

"No, it's fine, May," Elm excused. He turned back to Silver, whom his expression became grave. "I will help you, but on one condition."

"What?"

"You and I are going to have a chat later."

Silver clenched his fists. The last thing he wanted to do was talk to this geezer. But what choice did he have? The man was a pokémon professor. If anybody had information about cleffa, it was him.

"Fine," Silver conceded.

Elm smirked and uncrossed his arms. "Cleffas, clefairies, and clefables inhabit a cave not far from the town," he informed. "Your cleffa might be hiding there."

"Where's the cave?" Silver asked.

"There's a hidden passage in the rock behind Lemony Lake. You can sneak in at about eight o'clock. The moon will be high enough for the pokémon there to start their nightly dancing."

"I thought cleffas only dance when there are shooting stars," May commented.

"These pokémon like to be active as long as the moon is out," Elm educated. "Especially in the winter when the moon is higher, and the weather is colder. The moon energizes them while their dancing warms them."

"That...makes sense," May nodded. "So we go there at eight?"

"Yes, and right now, it's...fifteen minutes before eight," Elm checked his watch. "You two might want to get going."

"Thanks so much, Professor!" May bowed cordially.

"You're welcome, May," Elm grinned. "As for you, young man," he pointed at Silver, "come back tomorrow morning."

Silver shot him a final glare before running away.

"Thanks again!" May bowed again before sprinting after Silver.

When the younger adults exited the lab, Elm crossed his arms. How did a gym leader's daughter get involved with a criminal?

~.~

If the mission wasn't so urgent, May would've reveled at how Lemony Lake look like it was sprinkled with diamonds. Johto still took her breath away, even if it almost killed her a few hours ago. But she wouldn't tell her parents about that. Elm was the one that worried her. She didn't know how close he was to her parents but had a feeling he was acting as a babysitter for them. One bad word from him, and she was going back to Hoenn.

"H-Hey," May called out to Silver.

"What?"

"Can you do me a favor and not tell Professor Elm we were in Mt. Silver?" she asked. "He knows my parents."

"Fine, whatever," Silver grunted. "We're here."

Indeed, there was a passage behind Lemony Lake's rock. The pokémon within kicked and twirled in what appeared to be a foreign ballroom dance. The full moon shone through the opening above them, illuminating the setting with white light.

"There it is!" Silver pointed. Indeed, Silver's thief was dancing in the middle of the ceremony. She raised and waved its possession, a small oval crystal, in the air as if it would trigger something in the gem.

"Is that your crystal?" May asked.

"Yes," Silver muttered. "Don't tell anyone I have it. Just help me get it back."

"Okay," May agreed. "So how are we getting the crystal?"

"We can't attack because we'd be surrounded," Silver said. "We need a diversion."

"Wait, hold on," May stopped. "Have you tried asking for it back?"

"Of course I have, dumbass," Silver snapped. "It didn't work."

"Well did it occur to you that it's because you're an _asshole_?" May hissed. Silver rolled his eyes, making her fume even more.

"Well, what are you suggesting?" Silver demanded. "You want to ask the pink cult worshipping my property _nicely_ to return what their leader stole from me?"

" _I'll_ ask," May proposed. "They'll probably kill you if _you_ do it."

"Fine, then go," Silver jerked his head. "But don't expect me to save you when those pests eat you alive."

May stuck out her tongue before slipping inside. Silver watched as the pokémon immediately noticed her presence. Some were surprised, some were delighted, and a few were angry at the intrusion. When May got within arm's reach of the thief, the crystal did something nobody expected.

It started to glow.

Silver's eyes widened as memories flickered in his head.

 _"What is that, ma'am?"_

 _"It's that bird's crystal. If it is what I think it is, then we're one step closer to finding Giovanni."_

The cleffa stepped back, and the crystal dimmed. When she took a step toward May, it lit up again.

 _"Why? What is it?"_

 _"It's called a purity crystal. It glows in the presence of someone with a pure heart."_

Cleffa and her companions cheered when the crystal continued to shine in May's hands. They started to dance again. This time, around the confounded May.

 _"How is this going to find Giovanni?"_

 _"Giovanni established Team Rocket for the sole purpose of finding the pure-hearted person to defeat him. If we find the one with a pure heart, we'll find him."_

Silver tread into the cave, unaware that the pokémon had stopped dancing. His eyes were only on May, who raised the gem to his vision and winked. The cleffa thief pointed to him and ordered her companions to attack; but the second May told them to stop, they did.

The redhead was in front of May now, staring down at her with a mixture of shock and awe. May waved the crystal at his face hoping to break his blank expression.

"I told you, you just had to ask nicely," she bragged. "Now say 'thank you.'"

She squeaked when her cheek hit his chest. Silver's arms were around her now, awkwardly pulling her toward him.

"Thank you," he whispered. "I...thank you."

May's cheeks flushed. That crystal must've really meant a lot to him if finding it got him to behave this way. She didn't know whether to be glad or afraid. One feeling did eventually surge through her mind: appreciation.

"You're welcome."

~.~

May didn't know how and why she and Silver left without resistance but didn't care. Their mission was complete; Silver got his crystal back. What she couldn't figure out was why he was eyeing her more than his treasure.

"I know you're thankful and everything," May said as they walked past the lake, "but you're kinda freaking me out with the staring, you know?"

Silver finally realized what he was doing and looked away. "Sorry."

"And now that I think about it," May added, "I don't think I got your name. You heard mine when Professor Elm said it earlier. Can I know yours?"

Silver gave her a long, careful look. Then, very quietly, replied with, "Silver."

"What?"

" _Silver._ "

"Like the mountain that almost killed us," May sighed. "But you're not like the mountain," she beamed at him. "Well, you're _kind_ of like the mountain. Your cold, dark, and your words bite like frost bite. Hahaha, get it?" When Silver said nothing, she blushed and continued, "Anyway, despite all that, you're better than the mountain. You can be mean sometimes, but on the inside, you're a really nice guy. You almost lost your crystal to save me, after all. I can't thank you enough for that."

"You really believe that, don't you?" Silver asked. "That I'm a nice guy."

"Well you're not _completely_ nice," May remarked. "But you can be! Who knows? Maybe you are, and I just don't know because we just met."

Silver faced the road ahead of them, deep in thought.

"Well if you need anything else, just let me know, okay?" May added. "You know where my hotel is. Wait, do you want my number to stay in touch?"

"Where are you going after this?"

"Huh?"

"Are you going to stay in New Bark Town?" Silver asked.

"I'm going to Cherrygrove City," May answered. "There's a contest there next Friday I want to compete in."

Silver narrowed his eyes. "Contest?"

"Yeah, I'm a pokémon coordinator," May explained. "I collect ribbons and compete in grand festivals to become a top coordinator. I've already competed in Hoenn and Kanto. Now I'm in Johto!"

"Are the contests broadcast to the public?" Silver asked.

"Yup! And grand festivals are broadcast around the world!"

May didn't notice it, but his expression completely stilled.

"How about you?" she asked. "Where are you going to go?"

"I'd like," Silver paused, "to come with you."

May gaped. "What?"

"I'd like to see what these contests are about," Silver added. "Can I accompany you to them?"

May blinked once, then twice. She didn't plan on traveling with anyone, much less with Silver. She didn't even think he would be interested in something as grandiose and ostentatious as pokémon coordinating. Nevertheless, she found herself not minding. She wouldn't have been able to compete or do anything if Silver didn't save her. All he asked in return was to know what it was like to be a coordinator. Who knows? Maybe she could hook him to be a coordinator himself.

"Alright!" May pumped a fist in the air. "We can leave tomorrow!"

~.~

Professor Elm wasn't as busy as Silver had hoped. As a matter of fact, the older man greeted him at the front of his laboratory. His arms were crossed, and his eyes regarded the redhead with a smug grin.

"I'm impressed you actually upheld your part of the deal," Elm commented as he led Silver inside.

"Well, I'm here," Silver grunted. "What do you want?"

"Have a seat."

Silver sat on one of the chairs in the kitchen. He leaned against the table as Elm turned on the coffee machine. The professor offered Silver a cup, but the guest declined and insisted he got on with their conversation. Elm frowned and sat across him.

"How do you know May?" he inquired.

"Why?"

"Can't I ask?"

"You can, but it's none of your business."

"Alright then," Elm sat up straight. "How about this: does May know who you are?"

"Ask her yourself," Silver remarked. "She might tolerate stupid questions like that."

Elm's cup slammed on the table. "Don't get smart with me, young man!"

"Then don't get dumb with me, _old man_."

"Alright, that's it," Elm stood up. "You want to get difficult? Fine, let's get difficult."

Silver smirked as the frustrated scientist stood before him. It was amusing watching the elder assert authority he didn't have.

"You're a criminal," Elm stated. "Fair and simple."

"I wanted to give you back the pokémon I stole from you, but you let me keep it," Silver reminded. "You can't call me a criminal if you pardoned my theft."

"But stealing one of my pokémon isn't the only terrible thing you've done," Elm pointed out.

"We've all done terrible things, old man," Silver rebutted. "Don't tell me you're completely innocent."

"I'm not, but at least I'm trying to be," Elm retorted. "And one of the ways I do that is looking out for my friends' daughter, who managed to get involved with a man with no manners and little to no regard for anyone or anything but himself!"

Silver almost punched him right then and there. If what the geezer was saying was true, then May would've been dead. The redhead was a lot of things but he wasn't selfish.

"Well, what are you going to do about it?" he stood and glared at Elm. "Tell May's parents about me?" He wouldn't waste time correcting the geezer. There were more pressing matters he needed to address that didn't include the professor's opinion.

"I just might," Elm dared, "if it keeps her safe from you."

"Then tell May first," Silver said. "Ask for her opinion before assuming she can't make her own decisions.'"

Elm narrowed his eyes. "I will."

Silver stormed out of the laboratory and slammed the door behind him. What a rude bastard, Elm cursed to himself. He couldn't believe he withheld the young man's identity the first time he saw him with May. He'd fix that now.

~.~

Silver waited outside the laboratory until May exited through its front door. She looked at him for a while as if analyzing him for the first time before smiling. "What?" he asked.

"He told me about what you did back then," May answered. "How you a stole a pokémon from his lab."

"Okay?" Silver stepped forward. "And?"

"And how you eventually tried to give it back to him," May added.

"Did he mention that?"

"Only when I asked."

"Okay," Silver crossed his arms. "So what do you think?"

"That you were a misguided kid that eventually made up for his mistakes," May tilted her head. "It's not something to keep a grudge over. Everyone has done something bad, so everyone deserves to be forgiven."

Silver's arms relaxed. "You really believe that."

"I do," May nodded. "Which is why I still want you to travel with me. Just don't tell anyone you are. If my parents find out I'm traveling alone with a boy, they'd kill me."

Silver huffed. "You need to cut the umbilical cord sometime, you know."

May pouted and hit him on the arm. It caught Silver by surprise, but he smirked when a grin spread across May's face.

"Let's just go," she said, walking ahead of him.

Silver tucked his hands in his pockets, a smirk still on his face, and followed.

* * *

And _cut_! Wow, what a great episode. Did you like it? I sure did.

Remember, if you want more of this series and soon, follow and review, so I know you want it! What did you like and didn't like? Excited to read about two opposites traveling together? What do you think Drew will do about May journeying with another man? Do you think May has what it takes to survive in this region?

Let me know, and I'll see you on the next episode!


	2. Collision

Hello and welcome to the next episode! Thank you for the follows, favorites, and reviews. They encouraged me to write and quickly publish this next chapter. I hope you like it!

Last Edit: December 8, 2016

* * *

Route 29 was going to be cold, Silver warned, so May wore a red snow jacket and a green scarf over her turtleneck and tights. Silver dressed in a navy trench coat over his black sweater and jeans. His hair looked like a red waterfall coated in sugar, May thought. It was far more creative than her brown hair, which was lamely covered in a white snowcap.

Speaking of sugar, May was craving some. "How far are we from Cherrygrove City now?" she asked.

"Not that far," Silver answered. "We'll be there in about two hours."

The brunette groaned.

"What?"

"I'm craving something sweet," she said. "Do you think we can get some hot chocolate when we get there?"

"Do what you want," Silver grunted. "No one's stopping you."

"Hey!" May barked. "What's your problem? I just want hot chocolate!"

"Then get hot chocolate. You don't need me to hold your hand."

"Okay, that's it," May stopped walking. "If you're going to be like this the whole journey, then I'd rather be alone!"

Silver hissed and turned around. The coordinator's arms were crossed, waiting for him to leave. "Okay, I'm sorry," he apologized. "Why don't I buy you the hot chocolate? Throw in some doughnuts if you want some."

May's eyes brightened, but she quickly regained her angry countenance and puffed. "Okay, but only because it's your treat!"

Silver bit back a groan as May returned to his side. The woman was much too sensitive for his liking. Yes, she was also quick to forgive, but mostly because she wasn't that close to him yet. If he was to stay on her good side, he had to be nice.

May had already forgotten their spat when she gazed at their surroundings. Snow cascaded gently onto the background, coating the area in a thick white blanket. She didn't care how old she was; she was going to build a snowman later. Maybe hit Silver with a couple of snowballs too. The grouch needed to loosen up.

But Cherrygrove City had much less snow than Route 29. It was warmer too due to the beach nearby. But May still wanted that hot chocolate. They were also approaching a small park next to a cafe. May gleefully shooed Silver into the cafe before rushing into the park. Hot chocolate and snowmen at the same place and time? It was too good to be true.

But making a snowman was harder than she thought. She had to build a large ball of snow as a base, that much she knew. It was how to make one that confounded her. She started with a small ball, but it kept crumbling when she rolled it. When she made a bigger ball, it either didn't move or fell apart. May glared at the kids and pokémon making their snowmen with ease. She was a grown woman! If little kids could do it, then surely a twenty-five-year-old like her could do it too.

With that, she crouched to make another snowball. She was about to roll it on the ground when a familiar voice stopped her. And her heart.

"Hello, May," a tall man with ruffled green hair towered her. His emerald eyes glinted at her lowered form, making her blush.

"D-Drew!" May dropped her snowball. "Where did you come from?"

"I was just walking by when I thought I saw you," Drew tucked his hands into the pockets of his coat. "Where are your friends?"

May stiffened. "Uh-umm, I'm," she slowly raised a peace sign, "traveling alone."

Drew's eyes narrowed. "You're alone?"

"Yeah!" she beamed. "Why? Don't think I can handle it?"

Drew frowned. She was lying to him, but why? He was about to ask her himself when he sensed someone approaching them. When he turned to his right, a redheaded man with a paper cup was glaring at him.

"Silver!" May beamed at the man. "And _yes_! Hot chocolate! Thank you so much!"

As she sipped the beverage her companion handed to her, the redhead cast a suspicious look at Drew. It was reciprocated. "Who are you?" Silver demanded.

"This is Drew!" May introduced before Drew could command the same thing. "Drew, this is Silver!"

The men neither extended a hand nor expressed a greeting. May tensed and stood between them. "H-Hey, what's going on?" she asked. "Have you two met before?"

"Maybe we're all just hungry."

The three turned around to see a salmon-haired woman approaching them. May and Drew's moods immediately lifted, whereas Silver's only plummeted further down.

"Solidad!" May embraced the thirty-four-year-old. "I can't believe you're here!"

"I told you she was going to be in Johto, May," Drew smirked. "Don't tell me you've forgotten."

May retreated and stuck a tongue. Her cheeks had a hint of red nobody noticed. Nobody, except Silver.

"Hello there," Solidad approached the redhead. "I…" she paused. Those black eyes. And that frown…

"Solidad?" May called out. "Are you okay? What's wrong?"

"Oh," Solidad blinked. "I'm sorry. You just remind me of someone I knew."

Silver's glare hardened. Was she referring to who he thought she was referring to?

"My name is Solidad," the older coordinator extended a hand. "I'm a friend of May's."

Silver's patience was wearing thin. He had expected to encounter some of May's friends but wasn't ready for these two. One might know his father, and the other was standing a bit too close to May. Regardless, he met the salmon-haired woman's handshake and shared his name. May was watching him nervously. These fools were obviously close to her, so she wouldn't tolerate any attitude from him. Fortunately, his compliance got her to relax and bring back her cheerful mood.

"Would you guys like to have lunch?" Solidad proposed. "There's a restaurant next to the beach that has a reputation of serving good food."

"That sounds great!" May beamed. "What do you think, Silver?"

Silver forced back a sigh. "Sure."

"Great!" Solidad clapped. "How about you, Drew? Would you like to join us?"

Drew was about to refuse and knew Solidad expected he would. She only asked him out of courtesy, knowing he would only socialize if it was just the two of them. But things were different today. A despicable man was accompanying May, and he was _not_ going to leave her alone with him.

"Yeah," he agreed. "Let's go."

The ladies were surprised and delighted. Only Silver was upset but didn't show it. Drew seemed to know, however, and shot him a smirk.

Silver's hands balled and shook.

~.~

The journey to the restaurant was awkward. Drew had tried to walk between May and Silver to distance them. But the redhead quickly caught on and pulled May to him, making her squeak and blush. It was Drew's turn to scowl and Silver's to smirk.

May was as red as a tomato. Why was Silver keeping her so close to him? When the group sat at a table, he took the seat beside her so Solidad and Drew had to sit across them. He couldn't be...liking her, could he? How else could she explain this sudden unexpected behavior?

"So," Solidad broke the awkward silence, "how did you two meet?"

Silver bit the inside of his lip and turned to May. May received his silent request and sat up straight.

"We met in New Bark Town," she answered slowly. "He wanted to know about contests so he's...going to watch me compete in this Friday's contest."

She wasn't lying, so her listeners couldn't frame her for dishonesty even if they wanted to. But that didn't stop them from sensing something was off.

"Why can't he just look up what contests are?" Drew suggested. "Why does he have to be with you at all? He can just watch us compete."

"So you're competing this Friday, May?" Solidad interjected. She also wanted to know the story between May and her new companion, but the look Silver was giving Drew made her feel uneasy. It strengthened her association of him with someone she wanted to forget.

"Y-Yeah!" May nodded, grateful Solidad allowed her to change the subject. "Are you competing too?"

"Not in this one," Solidad jerked her head to the right. "But Drew is."

Tension rose when all eyes turned to the green-haired man.

"Oh okay," May gave her rival the best smile she could force. "Guess I'm going to beat you, Drew! I've trained hard since the last time we battled!"

The male coordinator usually scoffed and returned with his own remark. Today, he rose from the table and walked away.

"Drew?" May stood up.

"Drew, where are you going?" Solidad asked.

But the green-haired man was already telling a waiter to cancel his order. He didn't look back before leaving the restaurant.

"Drew!" May went after him.

"No, May, let him go," Solidad caught her arm before she could get far. "I'll talk to him later."

"But what if this is my fault?" May asked. "He did leave after I talked to him."

"It's probably not what you said that offended him," Solidad said. It was what you _didn't_ say, she mentally added. "Don't worry, May. I'll make sure you two are still in good terms by the end of the day."

May sobered and returned to her seat. "Thank you," she said. As much as she wanted to speak to Drew herself, she knew Solidad had a better chance of having a real conversation with him than she did. Drew might be a blunt and direct person, but with her, he was a little more...vague.

As the women continued to converse, Silver remained silent. It allowed him to blend into the background. Fortunately so, because no one caught him smirking where the nosy grasshead had left them.

~.~

Drew was overlooking a dark blue lake when Solidad stood beside him. He tossed a rock into the water. "What do you want?"

"I understand how you can be mad at May, Drew," Solidad said, "but at me too?"

"She's clearly hiding something from us, and you condoned it!" Drew flung another stone. "Why wouldn't I be upset?"

"I'm sorry, Drew. I didn't want to cause conflict in the restaurant," Solidad apologized. "And even if May was hiding something, I'm sure she had good reason to."

"What reason can justify being with that...that fiend!" Drew tossed his last rock. "There's something up about him, and you know that!"

Solidad frowned and crossed her arms. "We can't judge a person by how they _seem._ After all, we just met him. If May found something she liked about him, then maybe we can too."

"You don't get it," Drew stated. "May isn't stupid, but she's stupidly naive. She's too soft and forgiving, which is how creeps like Harley mess with her again and again."

When Solidad asked him what exactly Harley did, Drew spared her no detail. Her eyes became wider and wider. "That's terrible," she commented. "And she forgives him, after all that?"

"Like I said, she's stupidly naive," Drew reminded. "She sees the good in others but sometimes, that's the only thing she sees. I've saved her time and time again, and she's keeping _secrets_ from me?"

"Everyone has the right to have secrets, Drew," Solidad told him. "After all, you haven't been completely honest with her either."

Drew looked her in the eye. "What is that supposed to mean?"

"Come on, Drew," Solidad rolled her eyes. "May may not see it, but I do."

"See what?"

"You care about her," she stated, "but not in the way rivals care for one another. Not how friends care about each other either."

Drew widened his eyes. "Are you saying…"

"What if the secret May is hiding is that she's dating that man?" Solidad suggested. "What would you do?"

She purposely gave him an open question. If Drew was going to lie to her, and he wouldn't, she wanted to see him try.

But Drew wasn't going to try at all, "I gotta go."

Solidad crossed her arms and watched him leave. May was all Drew talked about all these years, but today, she was taboo? No wonder May hadn't accepted his feelings for her. Drew teased and even insulted the brunette, but he couldn't tell her how he felt?

Oh well, the salmon-haired woman thought. What Drew lacked in words, he made up with actions. Silver might seem shady, but he might be the trigger Drew needed to do what he needed to do.

~.~

"I still don't get why he left the restaurant like that," May commented as she and Silver entered an empty field. It was broad and a safe distance from the city, making it the perfect place to practice contest appeals. "I hope I didn't offend him."

"Don't worry about him," Silver said in the gentlest way possible. He withheld the urge to add "he probably left to get the stick out of his ass".

"How can I not worry?" May threw her hands in the air. "He may be one of my toughest rivals, but he's also my friend."

Silver crossed his arms. "Just a friend?"

"Y-Yeah," May blinked. "Why?"

"Does he say the same about you?"

"Well, he," May tapped her pointer fingers together, "never told me, but I assume that's what's happening."

"Really?" Silver prodded. "So he's never done anything that seems even a little romantic?"

"Well, he gives me roses sometimes. Red ones," May's toes curled inside her boots. "But they probably don't mean anything. Sometimes he hands them out while he teases me."

Silver couldn't believe his ears.

"Well anyway, it's time for me to train," May took out a poké ball. What emerged when she tossed and returned it was a small turtle-like creature.

"Squirtle, squirt!" the pokémon chirped. He then looked up and stared at Silver.

"Oh that's right," May addressed the redhead. "We haven't introduced our pokémon to each other, have we?"

"No."

"Well, this is Squirtle," May introduced. "Squirtle, this is Silver. He's going to be traveling with us this season!"

Squirtle blinked at his trainer before blinking at Silver. He didn't know what to make of the redheaded man, who looked a bit intimidating; but if May trusted him, then he would too. "Squirtle, squirt!" he waved.

"We'll meet each other's pokémon later," May proposed, gleeful that someone was approving Silver for once. "Right now, we gotta train. You ready, Squirtle?"

Squirtle pumped his fists. "Squirtle, squirt!"

Silver watched the tiny turtle pokémon create several waves of frozen pillars. Then with Rapid Spin, Squirtle created a fog of sparkling snowflakes. The redhead never bothered to watch a contest before but had heard about the participants turning themselves into a circus. He had heard right.

"Good job, Squirtle!" May commended. "After a few more practices, the judges will give us the highest score, for sure!"

"Squirtle, squirt!"

May grinned before returning him to his poké ball. She then walked to Silver, who had an unreadable expression.

"So," she entwined her hands, "what did you think?"

"It's...different," Silver commented.

May's face fell. "Different how?"

"From gyms."

"Oh," May sighed, almost in relief. "Well we're not that different from gyms, you know? We battle too."

"Really."

"Yup!"

"So your squirtle is going to battle too?"

"Oh, no. Not in this one," May answered. "I'm using my munchlax for the battles."

Silver nodded. "I see."

"I'll introduce you to everyone later," May proposed. "But for now…"

A snowball hit Silver's chest.

"Let's have a battle of our own!"

Silver grimaced and wiped off the snow. "No."

"Come on, Silver!" May urged. "Don't tell me you've never had a snowball fight before!"

Of course not, Silver mentally answered. But before he could speak it, another snowball hit his chest. "Stop it!" he growled.

"Come _on_ , Silver!" the brunette taunted. "Don't tell me you're _scared._ "

Silver opened his mouth, and then barely dodged her next attack. "Okay, that's it."

He packed a ball and launched it at May. He didn't realize where he aimed it until he heard May shriek.

"Hey!" she wiped the crumbling bullet from her face. "You hit me in the face!"

Silver paled. "I'm so—"

But then a snowball hit _his_ face. A sneer stretched across his features as May giggled in excitement.

"You're going to pay for that."

"We'll see!"

As the trainers engaged in a snowball _war_ , somebody watched them from a distance. He had been there since he heard May cry out and immediately came to her rescue. What he saw next surprised him, and then pained him. When the snow battle stopped, and May was laughing while Silver panted with a smirk, the spectator left.

~.~

May was avoiding eye contact. Silver couldn't figure out why until they were at the front desk of their hotel. The blue-eyed woman's reputation in the coordinating world awarded her free lodging by Johto's contest administration. But there was a catch. She was only granted one room, regardless who she was traveling with, and there were no other rooms available.

"So we have to share a room," Silver deduced.

May's face was so red, she almost resembled her blaziken. She couldn't decipher what Silver felt about the situation. If he wasn't happy about it, he didn't show it.

And he really, _really_ wasn't happy about it. The redheaded man wanted his privacy. If he were to sleep in the same room as someone, he didn't want it to be with a person he just met. Whether it was with a man or woman didn't matter. He had slept alone for years and lived with it because he couldn't trust anybody. Nothing in his life gave him a reason to. But May had a pure heart, he remembered. _But_ , he added, that could always change.

"What do you think, Silver?"

The male turned to see May addressing him shyly.

"Are you okay sharing a room with me?" she asked.

Silver sighed through his nose. "It's fine."

May couldn't breathe. She put a hand on the desk counter to steady herself.

Silver accepted the key cards and handed one to her. "Go ahead to the room," he said. "I'm going out for a walk."

May extended a shaky hand to take it. She wanted to say something but was too dizzy to open her mouth.

"Call me if you need anything," Silver added before walking away. He gave May one last look before walking through the exit.

~.~

Cherrygrove City wasn't as active as other urban locations, but it was still noisy and bright. Johto was still the calmest region though, Silver thought. He used to detest that when his parents first dumped him there as a child. Now he was grateful for calmer times like this. They made him forget his worries and allowed his mind to wander.

Then he sensed that someone was watching him. The streets weren't that crowded, so it didn't take long to spot who he was looking for. There was a building with reflective windows across the street. A lamp illuminated a truck parked in front of it, and behind the truck was the grass-headed man he immediately recognized. Idiot, Silver sneered. The walking bush had no idea who he was dealing with.

Silver turned left on a certain avenue. He knew the city well and doubted the other man did too. But the grasshead kept following him anyway, to his amusement. He probably thought he was going to save May by spying on her companion and discovering his _evil_ intentions. No problem, Silver mused. He had played the villain before. He'd play it again.

He went on until he was in the same field May had trained in. He remembered the snowball fight he had with her after, how nice it felt to drop his inhibitions and have fun for once. He didn't know if they were going to have another moment like that but was sure of one thing. Grasshead was going to do whatever it took to take away his chances.

Drew didn't see a point in hiding anymore and hiked visibly behind him. The redhead smirked at his figure back in the city. The coordinator didn't know if Silver was aware of his presence when they were here with May. Whatever the case, he was still bothered to return. Not just because it was the place he saw May have fun with the man but also because it was dim and isolated from the city.

"Why did you stop hiding?" Silver called out. He moved until he was in the middle of the field while his speaker was still near the trees.

"You knew I was following you," Drew marched forward. "Why didn't you confront me?"

"Because you would've put on a show," Silver answered. "Like you do in front of an audience...or May."

Drew growled. "Stay away from her!"

"Or what?" Silver taunted. "You'll _defeat_ me?"

"If that's what it takes," Drew took a poké ball and held it to his chest.

Silver smirked and did the same. "Fine. Let's see what you got."

"Absol, I choose you!"

After a toss of the sphere, the disaster pokémon landed on the terrain. Absol was perfect for this battle, Drew thought. Not only did the pokémon blend with the snow and the night, but he could also see well in the dark.

"Get out here, Feraligatr!" Silver tossed his ball.

The seven-foot big jaw pokémon looked like a giant compared to the 3'11 absol. But neither Absol nor Drew was intimidated. Not even when Feraligatr smirked at them with her large, open mouth.

"Absol, use Razor Wind!" Drew ordered.

"Ab," Absol's horn glowed and launched a long curve of wind, "sol!"

The attack was quicker than Silver expected. The wind landed a direct hit on Feraligatr's chest, sending her back a few feet.

"Feraligatr, use Screech!" Silver commanded.

The giant quickly recovered and launched deafening sound waves. Absol grunted and recoiled, unable to cover his ears.

"Outrage!"

Feraligatr leaped into the screech and chomped into Absol.

" _Sol_!" Absol cried.

But his agony didn't end there. Feraligatr kept him in her mouth and swung him side to side. Absol hit the ground every time, getting stomped once in a while by Feraligatr's feet.

"Stop!" Drew paled as Absol started to lose consciousness. "STOP!"

When Feraligatr finally let go and stepped back, Absol was knocked out. Drew shakily returned him to his poké ball and collapsed onto the snow.

"Good."

A red beam of light took the big jaw pokémon away so only Silver was standing before Drew. The redhead looked down at his opponent, who was staring at the snow in mindless shock.

"I used to be just like you," he stated, " _weak_ but overconfident."

Drew cocked his head and growled at the offender.

"Consider this your first and final warning," Silver continued. "I _won't_ hurt May. But if you test me again, I _will_ hurt _you_."

Drew trembled as Silver walked around and away from him. His eyes were sharp and hardened. His haggard breath created a mist in the cold air.

~.~

Silver hoped May was sleeping by the time he returned to the hotel. He arrived after midnight to increase the chances. Fortunately, she was, but not in the state he expected. The lights were on, and she was sleeping on a chair. Silver's eyes widened. Was she...waiting for him?

He had heard of people behaving this way in books and movies but never expected it to happen to him. Then again, he lived on his own most of his life. His guardians didn't allow him to leave the house alone when he was younger. He had to sneak out to leave on his own, so he had _hoped_ no one was waiting for him. But now that he was older and traveling with someone else, he didn't know what to feel.

Silver dug into a pocket of his trench coat and took out his crystal. When he held the gem above May, it glowed a crisp white light. "Still pure," he spoke aloud. "Good."

He pocketed the gem when May started to wake. He watched her eyes adjust to the light before widening at the sight of him.

"Silver!" she squeaked. "Where did you come from?"

"I just got here," Silver told her. "Now sleep on the bed."

"But," May turned to the single queen bed and blushed. "Where are _you_ going to sleep?"

"I'm sleeping on the floor."

May gaped. "But…but…"

"It's fine," Silver affirmed. "Just get a room with two beds instead of one in the next city."

May's expression sobered. "O-Okay." She wasn't going to argue with him. Not just because she knew he wouldn't change his mind, but also because she was too tired to do so.

Silver retrieved the bed sheets and blankets beside the bathroom and laid them on the floor. After May had handed him a pillow, he threw it with his setup and took his bag to the bathroom with him.

May buried herself under the bedsheets and tried to ease her breathing. How long did Silver see her sleeping? Did she drool? Did she snore? Did she say embarrassing things or move too much? The stress was killing her. What if she did any of those things tonight?

She froze when Silver emerged from the bathroom. She held her breath as he turned off the lights and plopped onto his makeshift bed. Only the hum of the room's heater broke through their awkward silence.

This is going to be a long night, they both thought.

~.~

Drew sat at the foot of his bed, lowered his head to his hands, and groaned. The nurses at the pokémon center said Absol wouldn't be ready to check out until tomorrow, late afternoon. The disaster pokémon might be fit and sturdy but wasn't close to prepared when he faced his most recent adversary.

The coordinator lowered his hands and stared at the wall of his hotel room. That redheaded man, Silver. Who exactly was he? He was the most powerful trainer Drew had faced yet, so why hadn't Drew heard of him? It didn't matter if he or she was a gym battler or a coordinator; if one was a strong trainer, there would be word of him or her. So why was there little to no word of the redhead?

" _I used to be just like you,_ weak _but overconfident."_

Silver's words rang in Drew's head. Weak but overconfident? Drew might have been a bit cocky in his first years of coordinating, but never overconfident. He didn't consider himself weak either, just someone that could always improve. Then again, he had never faced someone that made him feel weak. Like Silver.

" _Consider this your first and final warning. I_ won't _hurt May. But if you test me again, I_ will _hurt_ you _."_

This line raised more questions than answers for Drew. Wasn't that _his_ line? He was the one with a deep connection with May, so why was Silver threatening him like _he_ was the bad guy? Drew wasn't threatened at all, just confused.

Then he remembered Solidad's words.

" _What if the secret May is hiding is that she's dating that man? What would you do?"_

Drew couldn't and didn't want to fathom the idea. But the more he assessed the situation, the more plausible it became. But how could May fall for that prick or vice versa? Silver was a cold, ruthless man that probably made more enemies than friends. May, on the other hand, was a sweet, joyful woman that saw the good in everyone. Including her green-eyed rival who patronized her more than anything else. But that was what rivals did, didn't they? They taunted each other to keep the competition alive. But was rivalry all Drew had with May? Did May think so, and that was why she moved on to another man?

Not...that it bothered Drew. May could date who...whoever she…

Drew grunted. He had to find out the truth. If not from his latest competitor, his rival.

* * *

And _cut_! Wow, this episode was intense! Silver is really beating Drew's ass, but will Drew continue to let him beat it? Also, who are you guys rooting for, Silver or Drew? You might be rooting for Silver more because we've known him longer. Then again, this won't be the last we'll see of Drew. How is he going to retaliate against his fiercest rival yet?

Let me know, and I'll see you in the next episode!


	3. Unfolding

Enjoy!

* * *

May's first instinct was to yawn the way she usually did: high-pitched and with her arms in the air. But then she picked up the sound of gentle snoring, and she peeked down her bed and smiled at the source. As cliche as it sounded, Silver looked peaceful when he slept. His face was usually stiff or angry, so to see the redhead at ease for once was comforting. What did she do or have that allowed him to feel safe enough to sleep?

May paused. What thoughts were coming into her head? Nevermind that, she was hungry. Breakfast sounded good about now.

Wearing a light blue sweater, purple tights, and beige boots, May tip-toed out of the hotel room. She then jogged through the carpeted hallways to the elevators. The hotel's continental breakfast was available at 5 a.m. May checked her cellphone and grinned. It was 5:18.

After eating all-you-can-eat pancakes, May contentedly exited the hotel for a walk. She loved being a morning person. It allowed her to partake in peaceful morning strolls around her destinations. Thin snow on cemented sidewalks crunched beneath her feet. Cold air blew softly through her gloved fingers. Strings of smoke rose from some of the buildings' chimneys. And then she heard it. The roars of the ocean.

May beamed and jogged toward the sea. Wingull cawed above her as the ground switched from cold cement to sand. As much as she loved the city life, she would never get tired of the beach. It filled her with a sense of adventure, reminding her that there was more of the world she needed to see. Strangely enough, it also reminded her of home. She had met so many people there that changed her life.

Speaking of people, she spotted a green dot floating a short distance from the waters. When she recognized who possessed the dot, she jogged toward the person. "Drew!"

Drew was aware of May's presence before she detected his but didn't know how to acknowledge her. He had arrived at the area to clear his sleepless head. Yet there the reason he couldn't sleep was, making his way to him. "Oh," he half-heartedly feigned surprise. "Hello, May."

May's face fell. "I'm sorry, did you want to be alone?"

"No, I'm," Drew fully faced her, "actually been meaning to talk to you."

May immediately tensed. "Umm, sure," she remembered what happened yesterday. "What is it?"

Drew tucked his hands into his pockets and forced himself to look at her. "You and that redheaded guy," he started, "are you two...dating?"

May's cheeks heated up. Drew watched her fingers tap repeatedly.

"N-No," May stammered. "Silver and I are just friends. Why do you ask?"

"Are you traveling with him?" Drew added.

May's entire body stiffened, which Drew grudgingly caught.

"O-Of course n-not!" May waved her hands defensively. "Wh-What made you th-think that?"

Drew's jaws clenched. "You're a terrible liar!" he grunted. "Why are you lying to me? Do you think I'm _stupid_?"

"H-Hey! Don't yell at me!" May stepped back. "And why do you care so much? Do you want to use my personal life against me so you can win the contest?"

Drew's face fell, making the hair on the back of her neck prick in warning. "After all this time," he stepped forward, "after everything we've been through, you'd think I'd do that to you?"

May stepped further back.

"You are so stupid, May," Drew gritted his teeth. "So, so _stupid_!"

A loud smack echoed through the waters. Drew's cheek was red while May's palm was white.

"You asshole," May croaked. "I can't believe I...I…"

She bit her lip and stepped back. Then without another word, ran back to the city, leaving Drew alone in the shoreline.

~.~

When Silver opened his eyes, it was fifteen minutes before 9. He sat up from his makeshift bed and peered over the real one. The lump sticking up from the mattress wasn't May's head, however. It was a pillow.

The redhead immediately stood and looked around. "May?" He ran to the bathroom and opened the door. No one. Silver raked his scalp. Where could that woman have gone?

He sped to the outlets and saw that May's cell phone was gone. She left the room, he concluded. But where did she go? Why did she go? And how could she not have told him?

Silver retrieved his phone and dialed May's number. He tried to calm down as he listened to the rings. No good would come if he let himself get angry. If May ended up fine, then he would upset her with his scolding. If she ended up _not_ fine, he needed to think straight for his next course of action. He wouldn't have given a damn if this was any other person. But this was May, the first pure-hearted person he could find in years. If other people found her and knew what she was…

He stopped to take a deep breath. Again, he had to calm down. If May answered her phone, he didn't want her to hear hi—

 _"Please leave a message for…"_

Silver froze. He hung up and dialed again, but the voicemail met him each and every time.

"Damn it!" Silver threw his phone on the bed. He quickly retrieved it before rushing to get dressed. As he did so, memories of his past pervaded his mind.

 _A redheaded woman sat back in a leather chair. When Silver stood before her, he spotted a gemstone glimmering between her fingertips._ _"What is that, Mother?" the twenty-year-old asked._

 _"This," the woman presented, "is the key to finding your father."_

 _Silver gasped and drew closer, studying the stone with a newfound wonder. "H-How?"_

 _The woman sneered. "Sit down, Son," she gestured to the couch on her right. "We have a lot to discuss."_

 _Silver did as she had ordered. He leaned forward, heatedly staring at the woman and the stone._

 _"Do you remember when your father left?" his mother started._

 _Silver gritted his teeth and nodded. Giovanni, his father and leader of Team Rocket, dismantled the organization and left them over a decade ago. Silver was the last to speak to him before he disappeared. His mother, Ariana, led the remaining members in the search for their founder._

 _"Well, a while ago, a couple of the members and I managed to uncover your father's secret files," Ariana continued. "It turns out that everything about this organization and what it stands for is a lie. Your father didn't want power. He pretended to so he could be the villain a 'pure-hearted' hero can defeat."_

 _Silver's entire body went rigid, but his mother wasn't finished._

 _"So why did your father leave when that hat-wearing brat did exactly what he wanted?" Ariana went on. "Well as it turns out, that Red kid's heart wasn't as pure as your father had expected. It was 'darkened' by his greed for power. Not that I blame the boy. A young man like him able to take down a big mafia like us is bound to let it get to his head. Anyway, your father decided his plan had failed and left. He didn't write down where he was going, only that he needed to find another way to find this 'pure-hearted person'."_

 _Silver bared his teeth. "Do you honestly believe this crap?" he demanded. His father had proven to be a lying, manipulative loon. He didn't need his mother to be the same._

 _"Of course not," Ariana scoffed. "And honestly, I don't think your father does either. But I do believe in what capturing that 'pure-hearted' person will get him."_

 _"What?" Silver hissed. "What could Father possibly get in exchange for abandoning his family?"_

 _Ariana smirked as if amused by her son's anger. "Have you ever heard of a legendary pokémon named Ho-Oh?"_

~.~

May was taking another sip of her hot chocolate when Silver burst into the cafe. His widened eyes looked her up and down as if confirming it was her, and then narrowed as he stormed toward her table.

"There you are!" he took the seat across hers. "I've been looking everywhere for you! Why aren't you answering your phone?"

"Don't yell at me," May gripped her beverage. "I'm not in the mood."

Silver's shoulders lowered. May's eyes were swollen and puffy, and her voice cracked. "What happened?" he inquired more quietly.

May took a big gulp of her beverage. "I don't want to talk about it."

"Were you hurt?" Silver insisted. "Tell me, and I'll kick their ass!"

May inched back. Out of all the reactions to get from him, she didn't expect that. But she was too mentally tired to think about it, and she waved his concern off with two flicks of her wrist. "I really don't want to talk about it, but thank you for caring, Silver. It really helps."

Silver scowled but decided to let it go. If May were in real danger, then she wouldn't be in a cafe. He had nothing to worry about...for now.

He crossed his arms as the brunette sipped her beverage. If he didn't, then the full extent of his fears would be clear. He would tell her many things if she asked, but never, in under no circumstances, would he tell her the truth.

"Silver?"

The man raised his head.

"Do you think I'm...stupid?" May asked.

That was unexpected, Silver thought. He hid his surprise with a stern, "No."

"Really?" May insisted. "Even after you saved me in Mt. Silver?"

"We all do stupid things from time to time," the redhead stated. "Is _that_ what's bothering you?"

"No," May shook her head. "Well...at least not all of it." She sighed a heavy breath and looked down. "I've just been thinking about...me as a coordinator."

Silver cocked an eyebrow.

"This is my third year coordinating and...even though a lot of people like me, some say I just get lucky," May shared. "I didn't agree with them at first. But the more I think about it, the more I see how...true that is."

In the back of Silver's head, he was wondering where this was coming from. Yes, he was aware that other people have problems too, but he never expected one would share hers with him.

"Does that mean I'm a fake?" May asked. "Is my success just...dumb luck?"

Silver took a breath and sat back in his chair. "I don't know," he admitted. "I've never seen you battle before. But success doesn't rely on skill alone. You gotta know how to take advantage of everything that comes at you. Both good and bad."

May's eyes widened. "Wow, I...never saw it like that before," she admitted. "Thanks, Silver. I really needed that."

Silver didn't know what to say, so only responded with a nod.

 _"What would Ho-Oh want with a 'pure-hearted person?" young Silver asked._

 _"Who cares?" Ariana remarked. "Just get that 'pure-hearted' person and use him as bait. Broadcast him to the world if we have to. That Ho-Oh will come almost immediately. And when it does, so will your father."_

"I'm getting kinda hungry," May clutched her stomach. "Do you want to grab lunch?"

Silver blinked. Then, after replaying her question in his mind, nodded.

~.~

"You called her _stupid_?"

The waiter put a lot of ice in his drink, Drew stared at his iced tea. Solidad's stare was drilling holes into his head. When the younger man continued to ignore her, she let out an exasperated sigh.

"Drew, I'm trying to help you, but I can't do much if you keep ignoring what I say."

When Drew said nothing, she rolled her eyes and sat back in her seat. She and Drew had met up for lunch later that day in a restaurant near her hotel. She thought it would be a great way to make up for the awkward one from yesterday. Unfortunately, Drew decided to be more difficult than usual.

"All I'm going to say today is this," Solidad began. "Unless you learn to accept your feelings for May, you will never, _ever_ be able to explain them to her. Miscommunications will keep happening, and the two of you will end up being with completely different people."

Drew grunted and chugged his iced tea.

"If you're not ready to confess, then at least apologize," his friend suggested. "You're both adults. Solve your problems without calling each other names."

Drew lowered his drink. As much as he didn't want to admit it, Solidad was right. He had often given May a hard time with his words but couldn't keep expecting her to tolerate them. One day, she would decide he was too much and never come back to him. That was way worse than her dating and traveling with another man.

"You'll make the right decision when the time comes. I believe you can," Solidad smiled. "But for now, let's change the subject. Our food is coming soon, and I want to eat it without drama this time."

~.~

May crossed her arms and gripped them. She didn't have the support of her brother and friends like she did in the other regions. Having Silver in the audience did help, though. After all, not only was today her first Johto contest but the first contest in Johto ever. The so-called Princess of Hoenn was expected to provide a great show.

She took another deep breath and clutched Squirtle's poké ball. There was no reason for her to be nervous. Nervousness would ruin the hard work her pokémon had gone through, and she was _not_ going to let that work go to waste. Squirtle and Munchlax deserved better than that.

"Hello, May."

May tensed and turned to her right. As much as she tried to fight it, a frown managed to stretch her features. "Oh, umm...hello, Drew."

The green-haired coordinator struggled to maintain eye contact. "I'm...sorry about the other day," he started slowly. "It wasn't fair of me to say those things. I was completely out of line."

May exhaled and offered a smile. "I forgive you," she granted. "I'm sorry for calling you an asshole."

Drew offered a stiff smile and pocketed his hands.

"Let's focus on the contest now, okay?" May went on, surprising her rival. "We don't want to get distracted. Our pokémon worked harder than we did for this contest."

"Are you sure you're alright?"

"C'mon, Drew," she stuck out her tongue. "You gotta do more than call me dumb to get me down. And besides, you're my friend. Just because I'm mad at you, it doesn't mean I stop caring about you."

Drew was at a loss for words. He politely excused himself before leaving May with the stage's camera feed. The brunette's tone sounded friendly enough, but also a bit bothered.

 _"And besides, you're my friend. Just because I'm mad at you, it doesn't mean I stop caring about you."_

The male coordinator didn't know how to feel about that. For one thing, a friend? He was May's _friend_? He should be comforted that he wasn't just a rival, but he wasn't. She also didn't sound glad to say she still cared because of their friendship. Was she getting tired of him? Was their relationship coming to an end?

Drew shook it off the second he saw the stage. There was something else he needed to prove, a message he wanted a certain someone to get.

~.~

Silver wished he was anywhere but where he was right now. May had said that Johto had the smallest contest halls out of the other regions, but this one was still big. It was hard to find a seat away from the screaming crowd. Who knew so many people would get excited about a circus?

"Hi."

Black eyes met with blue.

"Mind if I sit beside you?" Solidad asked.

Yes, he would mind very much, Silver mentally answered. But then he remembered his promise. He jerked his head, and Solidad took the seat on his left.

A brief period of silence passed so the MC could welcome the contestants and spectators. Silver had hoped the quiet would extend to the end of the event, but his seatmate had other plans.

"So what do you think of contests so far?" she inquired.

Silver crossed his arms. "It's fine."

"Any," Solidad tilted her head, "input you'd like to add?"

"No."

Solidad sweatdropped and turned back to the stage. And she thought Drew was difficult.

The appeals started soon enough. Silver could not be more disinterested in what was happening but hid it with a blank expression. He and his pokémon were the only ones who knew the real reason he was with May. He had to wait until after her performance to reveal his boredom.

"May is a spectacular coordinator, isn't she?"

Silver bit his tongue.

"She knows how to show off without being a show-off," Solidad continued. "I understand why so many people admire her."

The redhead wisely stayed quiet.

"Is that why you're so drawn to her?"

 _That_ got a reaction from him. Solidad bit back a chuckle as Silver's face contorted from confusion to anger.

"I'm not dating her," he stated.

"Oh okay," Solidad nodded. "You two are just friends."

Silver said nothing more, but Solidad wasn't done with him.

"So what was it about May that made you approach her?" she asked. "Surely there were other coordinators you could've consul—"

"Look," Silver cut her off, "I don't want to be rude, but you're distracting me from the contest." He didn't look at her as he said that. He decided she took it well when she didn't say anything else.

Soon enough, the battle portion began. Only four contestants made it to the semifinals. May and Drew were two of the four, which didn't surprise him. What did catch his attention was the way the greenhead found and locked eyes with him. The redhead smirked. If the walking bush wanted to intimidate him, it didn't work. Drew wasn't the only one that trained hard after their battle.

The crowd cheered when May and Drew's pictures appeared on the large screen. After a few arrangements, the rivals stood face to face in the arena. May released her munchlax, and Drew released Absol. Silver mentally laughed to himself. Poor May. She had no idea what she had gotten herself into.

But to the redhead's surprise, May and her big eater pokémon didn't put up much of a fight. Within three minutes, she and Munchlax were out.

Silver narrowed his eyes as May left without a word. Her head was down, her fists were clenched, but her steps were steady as if she had expected the outcome. Drew stood still for a moment to watch her. His face was blank, but Silver knew better. Grasshead won the battle. Beneath those narrowed irises, however, there was grief.

~.~

When May emerged from the contest hall, Silver was standing by a lamp post beside the stairs. She shot him a small smile and approached him. "Hey," she greeted.

Silver erected his posture "Hey."

The contest finished half an hour ago with Drew as the victor. Silver waited until Solidad and the rest of the audience dispersed before heading outside. May didn't say anything after her greeting. It was Silver that broke through their silence.

"How often did you train for the battles?" he asked.

"I uh," May's pointer fingers tapped, "enough."

"No, not enough," Silver remarked, noting what was most likely her tell. "You're too hesitant. Focus Punch, Solar Beam, Metronome—even the moves you commanded display this."

May's head shot up in defense. "Well who are you to tell me how to battle?" she demanded. "I've never seen you challenge anyone!"

"You want me to challenge someone?" Silver took out a poké ball. "Fine, then I challenge you."

May gasped. "What! No!" she shook her head. "I don't want to battle you!"

"Why not?"

"Because I...I…"

Silver grunted and pocketed his ball. "You have no confidence," he stated.

May cringed. "Is it that obvious?"

"Yeah."

The brunette's head fell. "Well," she sighed, "before I came to Johto, I promised I would develop a battling style that was unique to me and me alone."

"And?"

"And I haven't done so well," she admitted. "Every time I train my pokémon, it's like we hit a mental wall and we don't know what to do. It confuses me and my pokémon, so we stopped training before the confusion got worse."

When May looked up, she met Silver's softening expression.

"Do you train with anyone in your sessions?" he added.

"N-No."

"Do you watch other people battle and train?"

"No, I avoid to. I don't want them to influence me."

" _That's_ your mistake," the redhead pointed. "How can you develop a different battling style if you expose yourself to the same thing? It's like trying to paint a different picture with the same color and brush. You can only get so far until you run out of ideas."

May blinked while her jaw hung open. Once again, Silver managed to blow her mind. "So...what should I do?" she asked.

"Watch or train with other people," Silver supplied. "Variety offers perspective; get a lot of it."

The brunette lowered her gaze in thought. "Why don't," she met his eyes, "why don't I train with you?"

Silver tensed. "What?"

"No one is more different from me than you are," May pointed out. "We're completely mismatched, but you've given me more _perspective_ than anyone else had in a _day_."

Silver tried not to cringe but was sure he looked uncomfortable enough. It wasn't the idea of helping May that bothered him; he was more worried about what would result from it. He was already having trouble keeping an eye on her _and_ keeping his distance at the same time. But then he realized something. He couldn't be with her 24/7. If May was going to run off on her own like she did this morning, he had to make sure she could take care of herself. She already had the potential due to her background as a seasoned coordinator. Now she needed the grit and confidence only he could provide.

"Fine," Silver granted, "but only if you can handle it. I'm not going to hold your hand or coat my words in sugar."

"I know," May simpered, "but that's why I need you the most. If my pokémon and I can handle you and your pokémon, then we can handle anything."

Silver smirked. "Good, because I'm not going easy on you."

When Drew exited the contest hall, the ring of May's cellphone alerted him to her presence. May fled to answer her call in private. When she came back, she and Silver departed in the same direction. Drew couldn't stop his frown when the redhead said something that made May laugh. He had known her for _years_ , but he had never made May laugh.

 _"Unless you learn to accept your feelings for May, you will never,_ ever _be able to explain them to her. Miscommunications will keep happening, and the two of you will end up being with completely different people."_

Drew clenched his fists. Even Solidad sounded like she was giving up hope. But being the top coordinator was his goal, he reminded himself. He couldn't get distracted. But then he wondered why it had to be one or the other. Why couldn't he be a top coordinator _and_ tell May the truth?

The trainer propped against a wall. May might be his rival, but if there was anything she was better at than him, it was taking chances. She wasn't stupid, despite what he had told her. In fact, she was smarter than him when it came to surprises. He didn't always know what to do when the unexpected came. Silver's arrival proved that well. But May did. She wouldn't have become one of his fiercest rivals if she didn't.

So Drew would do what rivals did, he smirked. He would prove to be just as competent.

~.~

May sank as deep into her bed as she could and groaned. Today was a long day, but it wasn't over yet. It was still just a little after 7 p.m.

She raised her phone to watch contest videos on the Internet. Silver had told her to watch other people train and battle. Though he had agreed to be her training partner, she still had to fulfill her end of the bargain. But then her phone rang out, and she got so startled by the noise that she dropped it onto her face.

"Ow!" May rubbed her nose. She was about to yell at whoever was calling her when she caught the caller ID. No picture, but a name: Drew. She tensed and slowly tapped the answer button. "H-Hello?"

 _"Hey, May."_

The phone almost fell again, but May fumbled, so it stayed in her grip. "Drew?" she asked. "Is that really you?"

 _"Yeah."_

May's knees curled into her chest. Drew had never called before.

 _"You're probably wondering why I'm calling,"_ her rival guessed from the other line.

May cleared her throat. "Y-Yeah."

 _"Well, first of, are you alright?"_ Drew asked. _"You didn't seem like yourself today."_

"I wasn't," she huffed, "but don't worry; I feel better now. Thanks for asking." She heard her rival sigh through the other line. She didn't hear him cursing right after.

 _"That's...good,"_ Drew returned. A long pause passed before he added, _"I wasn't able to see you after the contest."_

May blinked in confusion, then gasped. She and Drew usually spoke after every competition. If no contest was involved, then they bid each other proper goodbyes. They never arranged such rituals to happen. It just became a thing for them to do.

"I'm sorry," she apologized. "I promise, when we meet again, we'll talk properly."

 _"That's...good to hear."_

May distanced herself from her phone to take a deep breath. Then, with her eyes squeezed shut, put the device back to her ear.

 _"Listen, May,"_ Drew continued. _"If...there's anything you need, just...tell me, alright? Call me anytime if you have to._ _I...care about you too."_

May couldn't breathe. She had been quiet for so long, Drew asked if she was still on the other line. "Y-Yeah, I am," she coughed. "I'm...I'm here. Thank you, Drew."

 _"You're welcome,"_ Drew replied. _"I have to go, but again, if you need anything...I'm here."_

"I'll remember. Goodnight, Drew."

 _"Goodnight, May."_

May hung up the phone and clutched it to her chest. She plopped back against her pillows, unaware of the man listening from the bathroom.


End file.
